Marine Life & Conservation
Crowdfunding Campaign: Les Gardiens des Océans
The seascape of North-West Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, and one of the most preserved. Yet various threats are weighting on its fragile ecosystem: petroleum extraction, rare earth exploitation, development of fishing techniques with high environmental impact, mass tourism…
Without change, in a few years, the region will known a profound imbalance, directly threatening its environment and its natural resources. At its center, the island of Nosy Be totally depends on the sea and its generous underwater life to sustain itself. But for how much longer?
A new project aims to educate the people of Nosy Be, particularly the young, about what is at stake in their underwater world. This project has an environmental, social and community reach. In many places in the world, like in Eastern Madagascar, this approach works, it is thus under this angle that we envision to launch this project, with your help, from the beginning of 2019 for a minimum length of 3 years.
Who are we?
5 people, one association, a common project! Tanguy, Arthur and Elina, founders of the association MADA Megafauna, organise since 2013 the Whale Festival. This event, which takes place every year already mobilised more than 800 people: kids, teenagers and adults, from the villages of Madirokely, Ambatoloaka, Dar el Salam, Ambaro, Andilana, Ambodrona. Today the association wishes to grow further by launching a sustainable social and community project based around the protection of marine megafauna.
Stella Diamant, is the founder and leader of the program The Madagascar Whale Shark Project (madagascarwhalesharks.org) in Nosy Be since 2015. This program, assisted by global scientific experts, in collaboration with the association MADA Megafauna, focuses on the population ecology of whale sharks in Madagascar. To this day, more than 300 sharks have been identified by Stella and her team. The project also implemented a code of conduct in 2017 to ensure the longevity of marine tourism in order to protect whale sharks. Thanks to funding from the Clear Reef Social Fund and from the Foundation Vocatio, Stella Diamant initiated a pilot education program in 2018 thanks to support from the Marine Megafauna Foundation.
Check out the Madagascar Whale Shark Project’s work here: https://www.lci.fr/
Bruno, a young local from Nosy Be, is involved in different education projects : the whale festival, the community association Miaraka helping young people’s development, the associative project Tanana’Madio focusing on waste management, and was recently employed by the MWSP to deploy the education program since September 2018. Competent, motivated, involved, sensitive and convinced, it is the animator we want to support to launch our program!
The pilot project
Since the school year 2018, the Madagascar Whale Shark Project launched an education program with a class of 5th, a class of 4th and a class of CM2 for a length of 3 months in partnership with the school La Coline and Les Abeilles of Ambatoloaka and Dar es Salaam. Based on a program first implemented by the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF), one of the project partners in Mozambique, it is comprised of lessons, activities, games and movies around the themes of marine megafauna and threats to their survival. This pilot project is delivered by Bruno, assisted by Stella for the theory and by Sophie, school teacher, for the teaching part. The program has three overarching themes (Ecosystems, Giants of the Ocean, Environment) and unrolls over 20 classes of 1h30 each.
For more information about the crowd funding campaign please click here.
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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